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Re: [802SEC] Definitions for IEEE 802 Network and IEEE 802 Family of standards

James,

 

Reminder that you asked 802.11 (ARC) to look into helping with this definition.  We plan to complete that discussion next week.

 

Here is our current thinking/direction, FYI:

IEEE 802 ® network: an interconnected group of two or more devices that forward user data frames according to IEEE 802 medium access control (MAC) addresses, and IEEE 802 MAC addresses identify the endpoints of the communication.

 

You’ll note that we tried to side-step the issues you list below, by:

  • Referencing using IEEE 802 MAC address, rather than referencing IEEE 802 MAC/PHY standard
  • Just saying that all the devices are “interconnected” without getting into whether they are/can be “bridged”

I think that means 802.15.4 is included, for example.  And, it avoids debate/discussion about things like the 802.11 Distribution System being a non-802 network “under the hood”.

 

Mark

 

-----Original Message-----
From: ***** IEEE 802 Executive Committee List ***** <STDS-802-SEC@listserv.ieee.org> On Behalf Of James P. K. Gilb
Sent: Friday, July 7, 2023 4:13 PM
To: STDS-802-SEC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG
Subject: [802SEC] Definitions for IEEE 802 Network and IEEE 802 Family of standards

 

All

 

One of the last comments remaining has to do with the definitions of IEEE 802 Network and IEEE 802 Family of standards.

 

It has been suggested that an IEEE 802 Network should be all networks that can be bridged together, including those that do not use and IEEE

802 MAC/PHY standard.

 

If we adopt this definition, some outside networks would be included and some IEEE 802 standards would be excluded (e.g., IEEE 802.15.4 due to 64 bit addressing, at the present).

 

The current definition in the published standard is:

IEEE 802® network: A network consisting of one or more interconnected networks each using a medium access control (MAC) protocol specified in an IEEE 802 standard.

 

I don't have proposed text for the alternative definition, but it might be something like:

One or more interconnected networks that use IEEE 802.1Q bridging.

 

The suggested definition for the IEEE 802 Family of Standards is, perhaps, less controversial, that it is the collection of standards created by the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN standards committee.

 

Thoughts?

 

James Gilb

 

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